The Hunga Munga: Menacing African Throwing Knife
4 minute read
The "Hunga Munga" or Mambele originates from Africa, and is a genre of knives which were used in both hand-to-hand combat, and for throwing over long distances.
Double-Edged Danger
The Hunga Munga comes in many different shapes and sizes, but is generally built with an iron blade, a reward site and a curved section towards the back of the weapon. They were used in battle to either pierce the body of an opponent, or throw from a long distance - some reports say up to 250 feet 75 metres(!), but a more common and reasonable estimate seems to be around 30 feet (10 metres).
Due to have 3 or 4 blades, it was highly likely to hit and damage a target when thrown.
Status Symbol and Gift Of Importance
Many warrior groups classed Hunga Munga as a status symbol, with only professional soldiers allowed to own them. In other cases, knives such as the Munga Munga would be distributed to a bride's family as a bride price in the case of marriage.
![A selection of Mambele throwing knives in the British Museum](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0048/5988/7672/files/HungaMunga2_480x480.jpg?v=1648616025)
Close Range and Distance Throwing
Warriors would sometimes carry 3 or 4 of such knives into a fight, using their shield to cover them. They could then be used either at close range, or thrown from a distance to take the enemy by surprise.
Weight was generally distributed towards the front of the weapon, making it easier to both swing and to throw.
![Hunga Munga from Forged in Fire contestant](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0048/5988/7672/files/Screen_Shot_2022-03-30_at_2.52.03_pm_480x480.png?v=1648616059)
The Hunga Munga in Modern Culture
The Hunga Munga was featured in the TV Series "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" to refer to a throwing knife used by Buffy.
The style has also been referred to in the History Channel's "Forged in Fire", where contestants were challenged to create their own version of the F-Shaped throwing knives under strict criteria for blade and weight: